Unconscious Need
by Arctic Bowl
Summary: He needed her, but it wasn’t as if he loved her, hell he didn’t even like her. He was just so used to her. She was always there when he was doing something hard. She had to be here for this. “Find her.”
1. Chapter 1

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 1

* * *

"We have a new objective." Sasuke stood up.

"Sasuke-sama?" Juugo was happy that Sasuke had spoken. He had sat on the ground without moving for six hours. He, Suigetsu and Karin had no choice but to wait in silence, not even Karin dared break their leader's concentration.

"Does this mean we're not going to kill you're brother anymore?" Suigetsu asked.

"No, Itachi is still going to die. We have to retrieve something first though." Sasuke said.

"What do you want us to find Sasuke-kun?" inquired Karin, positioning her arms so that her breasts were pressed together in what she imagined was an alluring manner.

Sasuke didn't even look at her. "A girl. Her name is Haruno Sakura, you will find her at the hidden village of Konohagakure. Find her and bring her back here, it should be easy enough; she is a kunoichi of mediocre ability. She may even have given up the profession."

"Are you not coming?" asked Suigetsu.

"No, Konoha is not the best place for me to visit. I will wait here," Sasuke resumed his seated position.

"Well, see you when we get back," Suigetsu murmured as Sasuke closed his eyes.

"One more thing."

"Yes, Sasuke-kun? Anything you want," Karin leapt at the chance to get his attention.

"She is not to be harmed in anyway, you may sedate her but nothing beyond that."

As the majority of Team Hebi left the camp Sasuke began to justify his decision to himself.

He needed her, he didn't love her, he hadn't even particularly liked her. He was just so used to her being there when he was doing something difficult. She was always there. So now, she had to be here for this. He didn't know if he could kill his brother if she wasn't there.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 2

* * *

As Sakura placed her leather gloves in the drawer she placed them in everytime she came home she thought about all the things that had happened to her.

She thought about how Ino had nearly died on that mission they had just been on and if it weren't for her knowledge of where to find what herb where she would no longer have a best friend.

She thought about how way back she had been the smart kid desperately trying to be the popular kid. She remembered how she had almost gotten there when he had left. Sure her skills weren't as good as they could have been, no where near it, but people knew her name, people spoke to her, no-one dared make fun of her. They knew she was protected and that protection was what made her popular. And then Sasuke had left and suddenly it didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was getting him back, and then she wasn't strong enough. Popularity wouldn't give her the power to bring him back so she tried to be the smart kid again. And she succeeded. Almost.

She had thought now, now she had the power. Now she could bring him back. But that all fell apart when he went for her. Sasuke, her protector; the boy that would always leap in front of her to save her from a terrible blow. He went for her, he was the one ready to deal the blow that would harm her. Still not ready, still not strong enough, still not smart enough.

Surely if she knew everything, she would know a way to get him back?

She sighed as she slipped off her clothes and threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt that used to be Naruto's. It was too small for him but it swamped her. It was bright orange with a picture of a steaming ramen bowl overflowing with noodles. Typical Naruto.

She laughed a little to herself as she slid into bed.

* * *

A noise.

One so quiet she would never have heard it if her ears weren't those of a trained ninja. It was the sound of someone, several someones teleporting into her living room. Three, one small with smooth flowing chakra, one large with chakra so huge it was restrained by some form of seal on his neck and a third with chakra so muted, almost unnoticeable, that Sakura paused to admire the skill. Then she strapped on her weapons holster, attached her sword sheath and slid the sword she kept under her pillow into it.

"Time to rock and roll," she whispered to herself, and then she unlatched her window and leapt out.

* * *

Karin's head turned to face the window. "She's running , but she hasn't muted her chakra so she'll be easy to track."

"Rookie," scoffed Suigetsu. "I guess Sasuke was right, how much chakra does she have?"

"Slightly above that of a normal civilian, though that is expected as she started off as a ninja. I think she's an assistant of sorts at the local hospital, passing bandages to the doctors and whatnot," Karin pointed at the stack of medical supplies scattered across the floor.

Suigetsu hefted his gigantic sword to rest on his shoulder. "We hunt," he grinned.

As Karin and Suigetsu leapt out of the living room window Juugo paused to survey his surroundings, he looked a little closer than Karin did and spotted the kunais hiding under the books and the summoning scrolls piled neatly on a desk. "Do not underestimate the enemy," he said to the room before he too exited through the window and joined the pursuit of their target.

Sakura was already back in her room, confident that her clone will keep them occupied for a bit at least. She grabbed a holster belt, a bag and some shoes, she stuffed whatever weapons she could find into the belt, swept all of her scrolls into the bag and shoved her sandals on. She also pulled on her leather gloves and tried to make her massive t-shirt smaller by pulling it and shoving a hair tie on the spare fabric.

She grabbed her mobile phone and dialled Naruto's number as she leapt out her already open window.

"Uhhh… Ahh…Whaaa….?" Naruto had obviously just woken up. He had such fast reactions to being woken.

"This is precisely why you're useless in stealth missions Naruto, surprise attacks from enemies during the night would kill you if someone wasn't there to protect you," Sakura began running towards Naruto's house, but unaided by chakra, she was letting out practically zero. If someone was looking for her based on her chakra she was almost invisible.

That statement woke him up. "I am the ultimate ninja! Dattebayo! No man has the ability to kill me; the great Naruto-sama, Future Hokage!""

Sakura ignored him, "Naruto, someone's looking for me and their motives don't seem to be exactly innocent. I'm on my way over to yours, put some clothes on and get ready to head over to Hokage Tower."

"Okay Sakura-chan! Naruto-sama to your rescue! See you in five!" Naruto hung up the phone.

"Bye Naruto," Sakura said to the dial tone, she laughed as she stowed the phone in her bag. Silly Naruto, always ready to jump to the rescue.

"_I have to admit, the clone was a good idea Sakura._"

Sakura spun around to find a face to join the voice. "What do you want?"

A woman stepped out from behind a tree, she had crimson hair and eyes to match, "Well Sakura, what we want is you. Suigetsu, Juugo!" Two men came out from behind other trees, one large with orange hair and was that a curtain wrapped around him? The other man was smaller with silver hair and pointed teeth looming out from a wicked grin. The smaller man was also holding a massive sword, a sword Sakura recognised.

"Where did you get that?" she asked, eyes narrowing at the man, he reminded her of a shark; the only other man that had that effect on Sakura was a member of the Akatsuki.

"What do you know of Suigetsu's sword?" asked the redhead.

"Karin, this isn't important. Just grab the girl and lets go." the shark man, Suigetsu, said.

"He's right Karin, lets go." The larger man spoke, his voice was soft and comforting. It inspired trust, a useful trait in a shinobi.

"No, I'm curious. He must want her for a reason, what do you know Sa-ku-ra?" she drew out Sakura's name and took six steps towards her. "Hmmm?"

"It belongs to Momochi Zabuza, I placed that sword on his grave with the help of my friends and I intended for it to stay there, it seems I'll need to put it back." Sakura glared at Suigetsu.

"It belonged to Zabuza, now it's mine. He has no need for it." Suigetsu met her glare with one of his own, his initial grin fading.

"It was his wish that his sword remained with him." Sakura glared harder.

"And it was my wish that it came into my possession, it seems my wish won." Suigetsu's glare intensified as he too took steps towards Sakura, but he didn't stop he kept coming towards her. "I'll carve up that pretty face of yours with this sword, see how righteous you feel after that." He raised his sword.

"Suigetsu, remember what Sasuke-kun said; she's to be unharmed." Karin gestured for him to fall back and he did.

Sakura's eyes widened at the name of Sasuke, and the jealous twelve year old fangirl in her noticed the use of the suffix. So this was Sasuke's new follower.

"Remember Karin, it's not your orders I'm following, it's Sasuke's." Suigetsu moved to glare at her. Sakura heard him murmur "Flat-chested whore," under his breath, Karin evidently heard him too as she turned a shade of red bright enough to rival her hair colour.

"What does Sasuke want?" she asked, looking to the redhead.

"You speak of Sasuke-kun as if you know him, and know him well. Wha-" Suigetsu cut her off.

"Fuck the questions Karin we can ask her when we get back. Juugo, put her under."

The large man, Juugo, moved. He was brandishing a syringe full of a mustard yellow liquid.

"None of you any good at genjutsu then? I guess you wouldn't be otherwise you wouldn't need the syringe." Sakura was doing a series of handsigns behind her back. "Katon…" the rest of the jutsu wasn't heard by Hebi as a loud "Dattebayo!" overrode the whispered jutsu. Then a huge fireball came hurtling towards them.

They leapt out of the way all thinking, "Isn't that Sasuke's technique?"

"Run Naruto!" shouted Sakura as she bolted towards Hokage Tower. Team Hebi however were quick in the pursuit.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu," and suddenly there were ten Sakuras. Then there were nine.

"Find her, the real one must be the one that's disappeared!" Karin shouted. "Suigetsu, left. Juugo right." Karin followed the clones as Suigetsu and Juugo split up.

Karin was still following the clones when she heard a loud "Sakura-chan?! Where are you?!" she gave up her pursuit of the clones as she figured there was no point following copies of their victim. She headed towards the voice, 'Naruto,' the girl had said. The Sakura woman was sure to head towards him too.

* * *

Sakura looked behind her, they had taken the bait; they thought the vanished clone was a hiding her. Although the redhead was still chasing her, Sakura had confidence that she was faster. Some endurance and speed training with Maito Gai had improved her running; she was the fastest kunoichi in Konoha, beating even Tenten.

"Sakura-chan?! Where are you?!" Naruto was calling her, the redhead noticed this too. The woman paused before abandoning the pursuit of Sakura and her clones and running towards Naruto, she probably figured that the real Sakura would head towards Naruto. Sakura laughed at how easy it was to fool the woman. Karin was her name, Sakura remembered. It was the name of a vampire in an anime series Naruto used to be obsessed with, so it stuck in her brain. The woman in real life and the girl in the anime both had red hair.

"Vampire, it fits her. Little whore." Sakura had recently begun swearing a lot. A habit her teammates frowned upon but her best friend Ino applauded. Ino swore a lot.

Sakura made her clones split up and turned in the direction of the gates. Konoha wasn't really the safest place for her right now it seemed, what with strange people chasing her for unknown reasons.

Then she sensed the large man, she muted her chakra even further and took to the rooftops to follow him. He was running but she was faster, she leapt down in front of him.

"What do you want with me?" she asked, unsheathing her sword and holding it upright.

"I don't know, Sasuke-sama sent us," Juugo replied quietly. "Please come, I don't want to hurt you." He whispered that part.

"Sasuke?" she let her sword drop. Then she sighed, "Take me to him then, but no essence of Tetsu. That stuff is bad for my pores, and it's very addictive. I'm not a fan of withdrawal symptoms." she said indicating the syringe Juugo still had in his hand.

"You know what this is?" he asked raising it.

"I'm a med-nin, it's my job to know that sort of thing, give it to me," Sakura said, extending her hand. "I'll come with you, I swear on my honour."

Juugo hesitated but he couldn't detect any lie in her voice so he gave her the syringe which she quickly threw onto the ground and smashed. "Sedatives, really? Let's go, call your team."

Juugo whistled, shrilly and sharply.

The other two ninjas were there instantly.

"You caught her good, now pick her up and le-" Karin began, but Sakura interrupted her.

"You don't seriously think you could catch me?" she said eyeing the redhead. "I'm here of my own freewill."

Mount Karin began to erupt, "WHAT?!"

Suigetsu quickly intervened, "Karin, calm down. All that matter sis that she's coming, lets go."

"Che, whatever. Weak bitch isn't worth it anyway." Karin flipped her hair dramatically and started to walk off.

"For one, you're obviously the weak one, you can't tell the difference between a clone and the real thing and two, the gates are that way," Sakura smirked as she pointed in the opposite direction that Karin was marching in.

Karin acted as if she hadn't spoken., although she turned and began walking the way Sakura had indicated.

Sakura laughed as she followed, although inside her there was turmoil. Why was she going with them? She was leaving her village without permission and for what? A boy she thought she'd known six years ago? But then she remembered that it wasn't some boy, it was _Sasuke-kun_, her teammate. The one her and Naruto had sworn to bring back. They wouldn't leave him behind. That would make them worse than trash, their teacher had taught them that much. She would see him and she would try one last time, and if he didn't want to come home then she would leave him behind. The thing was though, she didn't know if she could do that, could she go against the very first thing Kakashi had ever taught her? _No._ But she wouldn't think about that, she would think about him coming home and their poor fractured family being whole again.

Whole, that thought made her happy as she imagined them together. Naruto grinning his head off, Sasuke hiding a smile, her beaming at them and Kakashi, Kakashi would read that little book of his and be happy.

_Happy._


	3. Chapter 3

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 3

* * *

"Why are you even here anyway?!" Karin spun around to face Sakura, causing them all to nearly fall from the trees they were in mid leap from, the sound of her voice interrupting the peaceful silence that had been about since they left Konoha four hours ago.

"You tell me, you're the one that came to kidnap me remember?" Sakura sighed as she wished she could keep going and leave Karin behind, sadly though she did not know the way.

"Uhh, whatever." Karin flipped her hair, acting as if Sakura had been the one who brought this up and she was the bystander. "Let's take a break, I'm hungry."

"I see your plan here Karin," Suigetsu said, grinning devilishly. "You're going to eat until you get some fat on your chest and then pretend you actually have something there."

Karin's face flushed as she growled at Suigetsu.

"The problem is though," he continued. "You'll add to that flab you already have on those thunderous things you call thi-" Juugo cut across him.

"There is a clearing and a river about a mile away from here, if we continue at our pace we'll arrive shortly."

"Lead the way Juugo-san," said Sakura, laughing quietly to herself as she began tree leaping towards their destination led by Juugo. This sort of banter reminded her of Sai and Naruto. Sakura's laughter stuttered and stopped; Sai, Naruto and everybody else would be worried sick once they realised she had vanished. Naruto would already have banged on Tsunade's door and search parties would be organised if she didn't return in forty eight hours. Forty eight hours was how long a ninja was allowed to leave for without notifying the Hokage. Naruto, though Sakura thought wouldn't be as keen to wait those forty eight hours knowing that she had been attacked.

As they arrived at the clearing by the river Sakura took the apple Suigetsu grudgingly handed to her, he obviously still didn't trust her not to stick him in the eye. He also held his sword away from her as he gave her the apple, as though he thought she might make a grab for it. Sakura sat down and took a bite of her apple. After she swallowed it she spoke. "I'm not going to steal your sword, if Sasuke is permitting you to have it then I can't argue. It was him that helped to bury Zabuza not me. I merely watched and helped place the sword by his grave." She took another bite and grinned into her apple as she felt Karin's gaze swivel round to concentrate on her.

Karin was seething, how did this girl know Sasuke-kun? She evidently knew him before she did and knew him fairly well judging by the easy way she spoke of him although there was a slight cringe in her tone when she said is name as if she wasn't saying it right and she knew it. Karin didn't understand that, his name was Sasuke. Karin decided to simply ask. "How do you know Sasuke-kun?"

"We were lovers," Sakura answered this as if it were the most correct thing known to man, inside she was laughing but also remembering of how much she had wanted that to be the case when she was twelve.

Suigetsu began laughing, laughing so madly his pale face went a violent shade of red as if he couldn't breathe. "Ahahaha! Karin! Your face!!!" He was referring to how all the blood had completely drained from Karin's face as she gawped at Sakura. She opened and closed her mouth as she tried for words. Sasuke-kun and this girl? Is this why he wanted her? To have his wicked way with her and to keep her by his side as his lover, the position Karin wanted so bad it hurt.

Sakura chuckled, "I'm only kidding. We were twelve, that would have been just a little wrong." She stood up. "To be honest Karin, my ties to Sasuke are nothing to do with you and our past is ours." She stressed the 'ours'. Karin felt a tightening in her chest, it hurt that this girl had something with Sasuke that she didn't; a past.

Juugo stood up as well, "We should go if we want to meet Sasuke-sama before nightfall."

Suigetsu rose and leapt nimbly back up to the trees, "Lets go." He jumped away, followed by Juugo, then Sakura and finally Karin who hadn't moved since Sakura had spoken. She couldn't help but let her mind evaluate every possibility it came up with to explain why Sasuke-kun wanted this Haruno Sakura. No longer did she think it was about hostages, money or anything like that. It was obviously something personal that had to be sorted out between them. Probably something to do with his dead family in Konoha. Yes! That was it! Karin thought as she caught up to her teammates and their guest. Satisfied that that was the case she continued onto their destination in silence, quite content with her answer.

* * *

Sasuke blinked. It was different, now that she was here. Everything had changed, he hadn't thought about what was going to happen once she got there only that she had to be there.

"Sakura," he stood to greet her. The gentlemanly thing to do, the manners Sakura had drilled into him a and Naruto resurfacing. As his brain automatically pulled up a memory of that particular day he shook it off, it was a foolish memory.

Sakura looked at him with sad and wistful eyes, "Are you coming back to us?" she asked, her six words speaking a thousand. Tears were pooling, he didn't know what to do. He was never very good when Sakura started to cry, that was Naruto's department.

He chose not to look at her, "Get some sleep," he said to his team. "We start tracking tomorrow." He turned and walked over to a secluded spot away from the fire he had built in their absence and listened to his team try to deal with the problem that was Sakura.

Juugo took over, "You can sleep by the fire Sakura-san and I'll give you my sleeping bag." With a muffled "Are you sure?" from Sakura he nodded and reassured her that he never used it anyway, it was too small for him to be comfortable in it. He handed Sakura the sleeping bag which she lay on top of by the fire instead of slipping inside, she closed her eyes but Sasuke knew she wasn't sleeping. Sakura always lay on her side when she slept. He was surprised that he remembered such a thing but didn't show it, instead choosing to glare at Suigetsu as he started to make his way over to Sasuke. He kicked Karin in the stomach as he passed. "Oops, sorry Karin." she glared before turning around into a more comfortable position.

When he reached Sasuke he sat down next to him and pulled out an apple from his pocket. He took a bite and swallowed it, all the while ignoring Sasuke's blatant glare. "You know, we couldn't catch her," he said, taking another bite. Sasuke blinked.

"What?"

"It seems you far underestimated her, she's still a ninja and quite apt at her job. I looked her up in the bingo book once she decided," at Sasuke's look of disbelief Suigetsu nodded. "Yes, it was her decision to come, anyway I looked her up. Apparently she's a force to be reckoned with, she killed an Akatsuki and survived an attack by your brother." Sasuke's face paled at that. Sakura fought his brother? She met the monster that was Itachi, that was never meant to happen. She was meant to be safe in Konoha, she was meant to give up being a ninja and become a civilian, she was not meant to be an accomplished nin; one that was in the bingo book of all places. She was meant to be protected, that was her sole purpose in life. Sasuke was struck by a strong memory of when she, Naruto and two strangers had come to retrieve him at Orochimaru's base. She had seemed so weak, still herself. She had come at him fist raised, and he thinking she could do nothing to him and had laughed, laughed at her foolishness then attacked her with his chidori fuelled sword. What a fool he had been, he thanked the man who had saved her quietly in the back of his mind. Sakura was not meant to die, not by his hand.

Suigetsu waved a hand in front of Sasuke's face, Sasuke focused on him again. "Anyway," Suigetsu continued. "I don't know why she was all upset when she saw you but from what I've seen of her, she's a pretty strong person, she sure put Karin in her place and Juugo worships the ground she walks on," he laughed at that. "And why does she hate the fact I have this sword? You seem to play a part in that story." Suigetsu gestured to the sword strapped to his back and looked pointedly at Sasuke, expecting a good answer.

Sasuke considered not answering but after the dedication Suigetsu had shown him he couldn't deny him this, he would not become like Itachi. He owed Sakura better than that. Again came that feeling he had from earlier, it was foolish, he owed the girl nothing. For some reason though he still told Suigetsu the story.

"When I was twelve I went on my first serious mission," Sasuke scraped a hand through his hair. "Sakura was there, she was in my genin team along with another boy. That's the system in Konoha; two boys and a girl. We were sent to accompany a bridge builder back to his home, in the water country. There was much more to it than that, the bridge builder was in far more trouble than he let on. His name was Tazuna, he was a good man so we stuck by him. My sensei was Hatake Kakashi," Suigetsu's eyes widened, he knew the name well. "He would never let any harm come upon us if he could help it and we survived but two people didn't. They were the enemy, at first. There were sent to assassinate Tazuna and us. One was a boy, Haku, he could be described as beautiful. It was easy to mistake him for a gir, and one of my teammates did. He did not deserve to die, but he did. He died to save the man he loved, Momochi Zabuza; I'm sure you know who that is." Sasuke sighed, this was not something he wished to re-live. "Zabuza went into a rage and he killed the man behind it all, the true evil in this story. Even though it was my sensei that killed Haku, although that was never intended as he was moving to kill Zabuza but Haku, he… he got in the way. " Sasuke felt Sakura stiffen, she was listening, she was remembering along with him. He also realised that she was still fully armed, evidence of her free will. "Zabuza died in the end too and we felt although they had done many wrongs they deserved a proper burial, so we buried them. Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi and I. We left Zabuza's sword in the ground as a tribute of sorts. We were children, we made a promise that we would never allow it to be moved but I let you take it. She resents me for that." Sasuke felt rather than heard Sakura get up and walk over. She sat down on his other side.

"I don't resent you for that Sasuke, it's just a silly childhood promise," she turned to Suigetsu, her tone heavy with unspoken sorrow. "Can I see it?"

Suigetsu nodded and unstrapped the sword from his back., he handed it to her carefully. It was heavy, he didn't expect her to be able to handle it, she was so small. Sasuke apparently felt the same as he helped support it as she took it into her hands. She laughed, "I can handle a sword Sasuke-kun, I'm not weak anymore, see?" She stood up and swung the sword around.

Sasuke allowed himself a small smile.

"No, it seems you're not."

* * *

Karin was watching it all, everyone seemed to have forgotten about her, Juugo was asleep and they all seemed quite content in their own little world. She listened intently at Sasuke's story, hoping to get to know him better but was instead reminded that once Sasuke had another life and as she listened she realised it was a better one. She hissed though when she heard Sakura's name. Already she hated the girl, for her past with Sasuke-kun. She blinked though when the girl called him 'Sasuke-kun' she noticed that now it sounded right when she said his name, as if to her that was the way he was meant to be addressed. To Karin though, she had no right. Sasuke was seventeen now, not twelve. She didn't know him. A small part in her died though when she saw the smile on Sasuke's face, he never smiled for her, not even a smirk. He was different around her and Karin hated that.

Sakura had returned to her sleeping bag considerably happier, for a second it had been like Team 7 again. Suigetsu was similar to Naruto in ways but not too much. She slipped in to the sleeping bag Juugo had loaned her with a smile. She heard someone hiss "He's not who you think he is, he's a _murderer_." Karin. Sakura's smile faltered as she realised that she was right, it had been easy to slip back into old ways but they weren't twelve anymore. Sasuke was a different person, he had shown her this when she had found him when they were fifteen. She wouldn't be foolish, he wasn't Sasuke-kun anymore. She berated herself for calling him that, what happened to her resolve? She would not show that she still cared about him that way. She closed her eyes and waited for sleep to come, she didn't have to wait long.

Karin smirked to herself when she felt the girl stiffen, she wouldn't be so chummy with Sasuke tomorrow and Sasuke wouldn't like that. He would turn to Karin and realise what was meant to happen between them. She was the one meant to be at his side, she was the one who would help him defeat Itachi. It was her, after all who was tracking him. He could never find Itachi without her, he needed her. Karin's smirk grew at that, the girl was dispensable, she was a med-nin and there were thousands of those but no-one could do what Karin did. "Fool," she muttered before she too fell asleep.

Sasuke watched the exchange with narrowed eyes, Karin was trying to poison Sakura with lies and not-quite truths. Tomorrow, they wouldn't hunt Itachi he decided. He needed to train, he had to be prepared and he needed to see if Sakura could fend for herself whilst he was busy with Itachi. She was here because he needed her presence, not her death.

* * *

Sakura was woken be filtered sunlight trying to get through the trees, it was around five in the morning if her estimations were right. She rolled over from her customary sleeping position onto her back and stretched. She got up and removed her sword from under her sleeping bag. She slid it back into the sheath she'd fashioned for it years ago, the sword had not come with a sheath when she had found it.

She smelled rather strongly of burning wood, the result of sleeping by a fire. She looked around and saw that Team Hebi were still sleeping although Sasuke was getting up also. "Juugo, wake up Karin and Suigetsu." Sasuke said to Juugo who was lying against a log with his eyes closed, they instantly opened as Sasuke said his name. He nodded and called their names. They too were up now.

"Gimme a sec, Sasuke-kun. I'll find his signature in a minute," Karin closed her eyes and began to concentrate.

"Don't bother," said Sasuke. "I plan to train today, one last preparation." he reached into a bag that had been beside him and pulled out some dried fruit. "Have some breakfast, we start in ten minutes." He walked back over to the corner he had spent the night in and began to eat.

Suigetsu handed Sakura an apple, Sakura blinked; it seemed to be the only thing he ate. Juugo though handed her some fruit that was the same as to what Sasuke was eating. "Forgive Suigetsu, he sometimes forgets that people like more than just apples." he smiled at her and Sakura found herself liking him.

Sakura sat down on the sleeping bag, she supposed it was hers now, and was thinking about how she would enjoy watching them train; she could see their strengths and weaknesses for if she were ever to fight them she would like to know what she was up against.

"Sakura," Sasuke said after he finished eating. "Start stretching, I want you to spar with Karin, Suigetsu and Juugo."

She blinked. "All of them?" He nodded. "At the same time?" He nodded again, impatience beginning to show on his face.

"I want to see what you can do."


	4. Chapter 4

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 4

* * *

Sakura faced her three opponents as she waited for Sasuke's countdown.

"No jutsu. Three, two, one, go," he didn't shout, he never shouted.

Sakura ran up a tree until she reached the top, Suigetsu chasing her. She leapt down, fist towards the ground as she waited for impact. Karin saw her first, she leapt with her leg extended. Sakura twisted and raised her leg to swat Karin's away as she raised her fist towards Karin's stomach rather than the ground. She struck Karin's stomach at the same time as she manoeuvred her leg as to smash her heal into the ground. A horrendous crack could be heard as the clearing split in half, the ground separating and swallowing Karin as she flew into it, propelled by Sakura's chakra fueled punch.

Suigetsu leapt off the tree that had fallen in the ground splitting. "Can I switch teams?" he called to Sasuke, who had leapt out of the way during the ground splitting. Juugo, Sakura noted was no where to be seen. Sakura searched for his chakra and then did a back flip as he erupted from the ground beneath her feet. She laughed. "Did Sasuke teach you that?" Juugo nodded as he dusted himself down.

Karin emerged from the wide, deep crack splitting the ground, her eyes ablaze. "Take this seriously guys, she's the enemy in this game!" Karin was also silently seething at a reference from something Sakura remembered about Sasuke, something they both evidently found funny as Sasuke too was chuckling. Sasuke never chuckled.

Sakura reached for a huge boulder, four times her size as Suigetsu laughed at her. "You're way to tiny to be able to lift that!"

She threw it at him, he sliced it in half with his sword. "Zabuza must have sharpened it daily," he grinned.

Karin had taken this opportunity to creep up on Sakura, masking her chakra and ignoring the several ribs that felt like they had been broken. She sent a kick at Sakura's head. Sakura ducked as she threw two kunai in Juugo's direction. They exploded as he leapt out of the way. Sakura grabbed Karin's outstretched leg and snapped it. Karin's scream was otherworldly.

"Leave her," Sasuke commanded as Suigetsu and Juugo started towards her "Continue."

Suigetsu adjusted his grip and ran at her, sword extended. Sakura drew hers which had been resting in it's sheath this entire time. Suigetsu's massive sword met her smaller sleeker samurai style one. He hacked madly, aiming for head and torso; seeking to slice her in half, or at least incapacitate her. He wasn't prepared for her skill.

Her smaller sword allowed for more speed, she sliced at his Achilles' tendon and he fell.

Juugo was suddenly in front of her, "It seems you have a fondness for legs," he said indicating the several bones jutting out of Karin's leg and the crumpled Suigetsu.

"I find it's a quick way to get rid of your opponent without killing them, wouldn't want this spar to get to serious would we?"

"I think it's past that point already," Sasuke spoke. "We'll stop here, Juugo isn't the type to be stopped by injury, I find he can continue on."

"Sasuke-sama," Juugo bowed his head as Sasuke approached.

"You seem to have caused me a problem Sakura, two of my fighters are down and I doubt Suigetsu's tendon will ever fully recover and Karin, well Karin's not getting better anytime soon."

"I'm a medic Sasuke, I can deal with it," Sakura raised a glowing hand.

"Very well, heal them." he said as she closed her hand over Suigetsu's ankle, waiting expectantly and then beginning to tap his foot impatiently.

"It's a process Sasuke, I won't be done in a few seconds. Go get Karin some water and some cork if you have it. She'll need to bite down on something while I stick those bones back in."

Karin was groaning and evidently in a lot of pain already. "Don't you medics have the ability to stop pain?"

"Not all of us Sasuke-kun, I do of course but I'm not wasting my chakra on that. She can deal with the pain, she's a ninja is she not? I did not think her to be that weak,"

"I do not allow weak teammates to hinder me Sakura, you of all people should know that." Sasuke internally cringed, he was cruel and he hated it.

Sakura smiled sadly up at him, "Of course not." Karin's groaning stopped, she heard what Sasuke said also, although not knowing that the words were directed at Sakura and not a warning to her.

Sakura removed her hand from Suigetsu's ankle. "Try not to walk on it too much today and it should be fine when I heal it again tomorrow, I need to save some chakra for Karin's leg and I suspect her ribs are broken. If her lung is punctured then she's fucked, I'm not gonna kill myself trying to save her as I would rather not be helpless the next few days."

Suigetsu shifted himself up into a seated position. "I didn't realise healing was so chakra consuming." Sakura laughed.

"You have no idea, I always said Naruto should be a healer what with all his chakra he'd be a miracle worker." she laughed again.

"Who's Naruto?" Juugo asked.

Sakura stopped laughing, grimaced and opened her mouth, "He's-" Sasuke laid his hand on her arm and shook his head. He seemed almost sad. Sakura met his eyes and held them.

Karin was now growling, not only was she in extreme pain but she had been forgotten again. Also, it seemed that the Haruno girl and her Sasuke-kun were sharing a moment of all things. "Whore," Karin breathed.

Suigetsu and Juugo weren't really sure whether or not to interrupt whatever was going on between their leader and Sakura for such a small thing as Karin bleeding quite profusely. They also wanted to know who this mysterious Naruto was as well which made them keep their mouths shut.

Sakura still had her eyes locked with Sasuke's, so many things that had gone unspoken were now being told through his eyes. Sasuke's hand remained on her arm.

Then Karin decided she'd had enough. "Sasuke-kun!" she called. "That wench has hurt my leg and it won't stop bleeding!"

Sasuke ignored her but Sakura tore her eyes away from his to glare at Karin. "This wench is the only thing that'll save you from Septicaemia, lying in the dirt like that isn't good for open wounds." Sakura walked over to her and stuck a thick twig she'd found on the ground into Karin's mouth. Karin attempted to spit it out but Sakura held it in. "Bite down on that or your tongue, your choice." Karin stopped struggling. Sakura took Karin's bent leg carefully in her hand and slit her knee open with a scalpel she retrieved from her medic skirt. Karin shook. Sakura then abruptly straightened it. Karin snapped the twig in her mouth as she bit down fiercely. Sakura then conjured up a clone who raised a glowing hand to work on Karin's leg as Sakura moved up towards her chest. "Not that you're one for modesty Karin but I would prefer it if the men looked away," she glanced up at Sasuke who turned his back, Juugo followed suit, Suigetsu hesitated as he looked almost longingly at Karin's chest before he too turned around. Sakura unzipped Karin's top and was met with several bumps on Karin's chest and abdomen. "Broken ribs," Sakura handed Karin another twig as she systematically pushed the ribs back into place before holding a glowing green hand over Karin's chest. About five minutes later the clone at Karin's knee vanished and five more after that Sakura removed her hand from it's position above Karin's chest. Karin spat out the twig and zipped her top back up.

"Those were lucky blows," she told Sakura. "Now that I know what you can do I'll destroy you in our next fight."

"That's nice," Sakura stood up and went to go sit on the edge of the huge crack she had caused, her legs dangling off the edge. "Again. Rest your leg and don't do anything too taxing as the bones are new and fragile. Suigetsu?" He seemed to conjure up an apple from almost nowhere and threw it at her. She caught it without turning around and Suigetsu looked at her with a new kind of respect, she was evidently strong. He thought she should be closer to the front of the bingo book.

* * *

Karin had insisted upon being carried back to their camp, it didn't go quite the way she planned though as Juugo was the one who had picked her up instead of her Sasuke-kun. Suigetsu had feigned pain in his ankle so Sakura had supported him back to camp. She set him down by the fire as he smiled his thanks, a little more suggestively than necessary perhaps. Juugo set Karin down on her sleeping bag as she had exclaimed her need for beauty sleep, not before inviting Sasuke to join her first of course. "Not that little miss virgin here would understand this sort of thing," Karin had laughed at Sakura.

"And what makes you think I'm a virgin?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke stiffened.

"Ha! I told you, I believe you owe me fifty Karin," Suigetsu laughed.

Karin grudgingly handed over the money muttering things like "Filthy slut."

"But Sakura-san," said Juugo. "You're only nineteen and I don't believe you're married."

"I'm not married, Juugo-san and I had to grow up a long time before I was nineteen." Sakura smiled sadly at him. "I'm sorry Juugo-san but I'm not as innocent as some would like to believe, as you saw today I am very capable of crippling people and sometimes irrevocably. It was something I had to learn before I was meant to and sometimes ninja like me find comfort in intimacy."

"I understand Sakura-san," Juugo nodded as he let the topic go, Suigetsu on the other hand wasn't quite so ready to let the matter drop.

"So Sakura, should you ever feel the need you know I'm always-" he was cut off my the kunai that was aimed for his face. He leapt to the side and shut his mouth, if looks could kill Sasuke's murderous glare would have Suigetsu brutally torn to shreds.

Suigetsu practically ran to his sleeping bag despite the ankle he had claimed was in agony and feigned sleep. Karin did the same, deciding that insulting Sakura was not the way to Sasuke's heart at the moment. Juugo also made the wise choice to suddenly fall asleep.

"Sakura," Sasuke called, his tone angry. "I'm going for a walk." That was as close to an invite as he was going to get. Sakura scrambled up less than gracefully and followed his figure as he walked into the woods.

They were silent until they reached their destination, the crack in the land that Sakura had created earlier in the day. Sasuke waited until Sakura had sat down before he also let his legs hang over the edge.

"You're not weak anymore," he said, looking down the crevice.

"No, after you left I got an apprenticeship with the Hokage," she smiled. "I always thought it was funny, you went off with Orochimaru, Naruto with Jiraiya-sama and I had Tsunade- shisou. Konoha's Golden Team, we all got our own little piece of it."

When Sasuke didn't reply Sakura felt a little awkward, silence had never been her strong point. "Sasuke?"

"Is it true?" he asked, not raising his eyes.

"What?" Sakura took a second to click. "Oh." a few more minutes of silence and then Sakura spoke.

"Yes and no."

Sasuke looked at her then, her tone was one of pain.

"I said most of those things to annoy Karin and to stop Juugo thinking little of me, but once…" Sakura ran a shaking hand through her hair. "I was on a mission, a simple thing really; just retrieve a couple of herbs from Suna. The herbs I was looking for prefer that climate you see."

"Sakura?" Sasuke could see the way she was scratching at her skin, she was evidently uncomfortable if not more.

"Anyway, I was on my way back when I encountered some nin, they were Konoha. Or they were wearing the headbands at least. They asked if I wanted to share their fire, it was getting late so I agreed. The leader of their band was reasonably attractive if not a little plain, I could tell he wanted more than conversation than me, he even went so far as to ask." Sakura laughed awkwardly. "I..I went to the river to water my herbs and he accompanied me, I didn't think anything of it, he seemed nice enough if not a little inappropriate at times. He offered me a strange fruit, saying it was a rare delicacy from the land he had just come from. He was Konoha so I trusted him. I was only sixteen and still a little foolish. The fruit took my mind from me. When I woke up I was naked and sore, so sore." A tear slid down her face. "I felt a needle slide into my flesh and then I couldn't move. The man was there, I realised I hadn't even asked his name then. His headband was gone and he stood over me and then he told me of what had happened. He told me about how much I had enjoyed it and how I had cried out his name in need. Then… I remembered, I remembered it all. He was right I had done all of what he had told me and more. Then… then he-he violated me. I…I didn't want to Sasuke-kun. Please don't judge me."

Sasuke didn't respond, he felt strangely betrayed as he remembered Sakura's promise to wait for him and then rage swept through him at the thought of the man who had caused her to break that promise unwillingly. He had raped her. Raped her.

Sakura was openly weeping now, "Sasuke-kun please-" Never before had Sakura felt more like her twelve year old self.

"Where is he?" Sasuke's tone was one of utter rage.

"Naruto, he-he went after him but he couldn't find him. He's gone Sasuke-kun." Sakura reached out a touched Sasuke's arm, tears still freely flowing. "I'm sorry Sasuke-kun…"

Sasuke swivelled round to face her, his eyes more than a little mad, Sakura flinched. Sasuke forced himself to look calm.

"It's okay Sakura, it wasn't your fault." He wiped at her face with his big hand a little awkwardly.

Sakura looked up at the sky, "You know Sasuke-kun, once when we were still all together I lay awake while you all slept and watched the stars, I was grinning so much. I couldn't believe how lucky I was, to have all of you."

Sasuke didn't reply but lay back and looked at the sky and then Sakura, Sakura smiled and lay back too.


	5. Chapter 5

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 5

* * *

I apologise for the inconsistency of my last chapter and can only promise to try not to repeat my mistakes.

This is for those who made the effort to review and especially Tiger Priestess; she made a bad day better.

* * *

"Where are they?!" Karin screeched. Suigetsu jolted awake and Juugo who had been tending the fire turned to face her.

"Oww," Suigetsu rubbed his ears. "Where are who?"

"Sasuke-kun! And that, that Haruno slut!" Karin was pacing the camp now, her eyes darting about as she lifted things up in her search.

"I doubt they're under that log Karin," Suigetsu pointed out as Karin dropped the log with a glare in his direction.

"Well, where are they then?" she snapped. "I bet that whore tried to sink her claw into my Sasuke-kun, and what was he to do? Oh poor Sasuke-kun, come back to me!" Karin shouted the last part.

"We'll split up and look for them, come on Juugo," Suigetsu rose from his sleeping bag and entered the surrounding forest as Karin stormed in the opposite direction. Juugo sighed and headed for the clearing.

----

Juugo allowed himself a small smile when he found them, their legs were dangling in the crack and Sasuke had his head nestled in Sakura's neck while she rested her hand on his chest. The look of pure serenity on Sasuke's face was one he had never seen on his leader's face before. He thought Sakura resembled an angel, she had such a small innocent smile on her face as she moved to snuggle into Sasuke. Only to softly bang her head on his.

"Mmmm, owie…" Sakura murmured as she wriggled so as to place her head under Sasuke's chin.

Sasuke made a groaning noise at the pain in his head and then slung his arm around Sakura's waist. Sakura was now in a rather strange position with one leg dangling and the other bent just enough that it was out of the crack, her upper body was slightly twisted in the way she was lying against Sasuke, Sasuke was much the same but he had is arm across Sakura whilst hers were in between their chests.

It was at this point that Karin and Suigetsu emerged out of the forest.

"Hey Juugo, we couldn't find them…" Suigetsu's last word drifted into a whisper. Karin rolled her eyes at Suigetsu before she turned and she too saw.

Her scream was deafening.

Sasuke and Sakura jolted awake, managing again to bang their heads only harder. Sakura then went bright red as she saw what position they were in. Sasuke's hand was still sprawled across her waist and she was practically on his lap with the top of her head brushing his chin.

She scrambled up and dusted herself down, coughing self-consciously.

Karin launched herself at Sakura, Sakura though saw it coming and smoothly sidestepped Karin as she flew blindly in to the crack. Juugo caught her however before she could fall in.

Karin spun round as Juugo set her back on the ground, her face aflame. "How _dare_ you?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me?" Suigetsu wisely took a few steps back. Sasuke, however moved closer.

"You, you shameless slut!" Karin shouted a hand moving to slam against Sakura's cheek.

Sasuke moved to catch it before it hit Sakura's face and he would have if Sakura hadn't swatted it away and stopped Karin by herself. She applied pressure on Karin's wrist with his index finger and Karin crumbled down to the ground.

"In Konoha, me and my friends have a saying. 'If someone insults you, beat the mother fucking shit out of them.' and I have not wavered from those wise words in a long time. I will however make an exception for you Karin, and I'll tell you why," Sakura's voice was eerily calm as she spoke to Karin who was writhing weakly and failing to escape Sakura's grip as her limbs flopped like jelly. "Normally when I beat the shit out of someone," Sakura bared her teeth at Karin in an animalistic manner at the word 'someone', Suigetsu was beginning to think he was in love at this point. "I leave them where they lie, _defeated_," she hissed the word. "Defeated like you are now, and I leave it up to someone else to find and heal the scum. In your case though, it would be me who had to heal you. Again. That would be a waste of my chakra Karin, and I refuse to waste anything on someone like you." Sakura tightened her grip on Karin's wrist and there was the distinctive sound of a bone breaking as Sakura's eyes glared down at Karin with cool, undisguised hatred.

Sasuke surveyed the situation, still in surprise at the ease and speed in which Sakura had swatted his hand away in time to grab Karin's wrist. As Sakura showed no signs of letting go and Karin cried out as another bone in her wrist gave that telltale crack he decided to intervene, he needed Karin's abilities after all.

"Sakura, stop."

Sakura released Karin's wrist only to spin round and growl at Sasuke, "After years, so many many years of you insulting me Sasuke, and I foolishly believing I deserved it, I made a decision," she spat the word, glaring at him with something akin to hatred but not quite; more resentment. "I would never, never let anyone speak to me like that ever again. Especially not some lowlife like this piece of shit," Sakura didn't bother to apologise for her language. "Who fancies herself your suitor. If I were you Sasuke, God forgive the very thought, I would have cut out that tongue of hers so long ago."

Sasuke didn't respond, he didn't know how to. After last night where Sakura had opened up to him and seemed to forgive him he had stupidly believed her to be the same Sakura he had left behind. Now however he was beginning to see the cooped up resentment she bore him for those years he had left her and those years he had put her down. He treasured those years with his team but now he realised what an ass he had been the entire time and Sasuke began to see how much he truly hated himself. He could not justify what he had done except to say it was necessary to leave so as to defeat Itachi but saying that to Sakura would be cruel, mentioning the abandonment of her and Naruto was not needed and the thing that hurt most was that she was referring to the time before he left, so he simply said her name in a sort of pleading tone.

"Sakura…"

"No, I'm sorry Sasuke, I shouldn't have said that, sorry Karin," Sakura said quickly holding a glowing hand above Karin's wrist before quickly excusing herself and going into the surrounding forest.

Sasuke stood there slightly dumbstruck before Karin spoke, "I don't want her here but shouldn't someone get her before she escapes?"

Sasuke nodded at Juugo who ran after Sakura before he dismissed Karin and Suigetsu with a flick of his wrist as he sat down again on the edge of the crack contemplating what would happen if he threw himself in.

----

Tears streamed down Sakura's face as she fell against a tree about a mile away from the crack she had made. She regretted what she had said and done to such extremes she was willing to kiss Karin's feet every day to make up for her harsh words. So many years she had kept her feelings to herself, the extreme insecurity she had felt whenever Sasuke muttered those fatal words back when they were twelve, the utter lack of worth she had had when he had practically laughed away her declaration of undying love with a simple 'Thank you' before effortlessly rendering her unconscious. The words "You're weak," that had been repeated in her head everyday as she struggled to become strong . The sudden realisation at how much she hated Uchiha Sasuke when she turned fifteen was something she had kept to herself and fought against with the love she felt for him too. That hate, that resentment had come tumbling out of her today and now that she had done it the feeling was gone and now replaced with regret. She remembered the small boy crying at school because his parents were dead and regretted that she had wounded him so, her, the girl who had stood by him for so many years with unfaltering adoration, the one person he could count on who still cared for him had turned against him.

"What have I done?" she scratched at her arms as she cried herself into insensibility.

"Sakura-san?" Sakura stopped crying as she located the source of the tentative call.

"Juugo-san," she nodded, not bothering to hide or wipe away the tear tracks on her skin.

"I'm afraid I have to take you back."

"That's fine," Sakura nodded as she followed him through the forest at a walk, they didn't speak all the way back to the camp.

----

Sasuke was sitting on a log by the fire when Juugo and Sakura reached the camp and night had fallen. Suigetsu and Karin were sitting on the opposite side of the fire casting nervous glances towards their leader. Sasuke stood up when Sakura approached, a thing he had taken to doing Karin noted with some chagrin. He moved to the side as Sakura sat slightly to the right of where he had been sitting. Sakura looked up at him with emotionless eyes and gestured for him to sit down.

"What's the plan for tomorrow?" Sakura asked, gazing into the fire.

"Karin has located Itachi so tomorrow we move to kill him, you will wait with the team while I fight him and will heal any injuries I may receive when I return." Sasuke also gazed intently into the fire as he spoke.

An awkward silence ensued as Suigetsu threw an apple from hand to hand.

"Why did you bring me here?" Sakura broke the silence with her half whispered question.

Sasuke ran a hand through his hair, "I don't know."

Juugo, Suigetsu and even Karin felt like they were intruding on an immensely private and personal moment.

"I'm sorry."

Sakura turned her head to face Sasuke after he said this and she slapped him.

Sasuke and his team were speechless. Karin started to stand up, ready to object, but Suigetsu grabbed her wrist and pulled her back down a finger to his lips.

"There are so many things you should be sorry for Sasuke-kun but I get the distinct feeling you're not," Sakura stood and Sasuke followed suit. "I just can't for the life of me," She laughed in his face. "Figure out why you insist to dangle these things in my face. Especially when it isn't even me you should apologise to, it's Naruto."

Again the mention of that name, even Karin was curious now as they listened intently to Sakura.

"After every single bloody thing you put him through, he still thinks of you as his brother. Part of the only family he has left. That small dysfunctional family he made back when we were twelve. That broken, broken family, torn apart because you just couldn't be happy with what you got, poor little Sasuke-kun. Poor little fucking Sasuke-kun, his family massacred by the brother he worshipped. Of course he needed revenge. But you just couldn't leave it at that, you allowed the hatred you bore your brother to consume your life."

Sasuke couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth, how dare she?

"You foolish little girl, you have no idea what it's like!" Sasuke erupted. "I loved him! He was my brother! All of that left when he killed them, my mother Sakura, my lovely, beautiful, caring mother. I refuse to let him get away with it. I will destroy him!"

Sakura shook her head, "You go kill your brother Sasuke but when you get back I have a few things you need to know. Things you will hate me for telling you."

Sasuke glared at her coldly before turning his back on her and walking over to the corner of the camp where he slept. He stopped and turned to face her after a couple of steps. "I hate you now," he spat before he continued on his way.

----

The next morning there was a feeling of extreme tension around the camp as they prepared to move out. Sakura grabbed her backpack and her sword as they move out.

Sasuke left them with a just an order to wait as he continued east.

Team Hebi and Sakura settled down to wait, Sakura sheathed and unsheathed her sword repeatedly to pass the time.

Karin suddenly snatched the sword from Sakura's grip and examined it carefully.

"Hey! Give that back!" Sakura reached for it but Karin being taller held it out of her reach.

"Where did you get this sword?" Karin growled.

"It was a gift," Sakura narrowed her eyes at Karin. "And what of it?"

"Did you get this from Sasuke?" Karin glared back.

"What's going on?" Suigetsu asked standing up and rubbing his eyes as he bad just been woken up.

"Shut up," Karin shot him a silencing glare. "Did you?" she asked Sakura.

"No, I did not." Sakura was really angry now.

"Then you must have stolen it." Karin gave Sakura a triumphant look. "I'm so telling Sasuke-kun."

"Seriously, what are you on about four-eyes?" Suigetsu asked again.

Karin decided to let the insult pass, too intent on gloating. "This is the sword of the Uchiha matriarch, who was Sasuke-kun's mother until she was murdered. Sasuke-kun is going to kill you," she sneered at Sakura.

"And how do you know this?" Suigetsu asked, scratching his head with a confused expression.

"Because I looked through Orochimaru's files on Uchihas and there was a file on this sword, it was meant to have gone missing shortly after Sasuke left his old village but now we know where it went, this bitch stole it. See the distinctive marking of the Uchiwa fan?" she asked holding the sword out to Suigetsu.

"That's the same sign as on Sasuke's shirt!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

"Yes, yes. That's all fine and dandy, now give me my sword back," Sakura said extending her hand.

"It's not yours, you stole it." Karin said, attaching the sword to her shorts. "I'll give this to Sasuke-kun when he gets back. That was smart you know, using a different sheath so that he wouldn't notice it."

"It's the same sheath, I just put a cover on it, now I'll be taking my sword back," Sakura disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossom petals and then reappeared sword in hand. "It was a gift and it's mine." She sat back down but kept a firm grip on her sword.

"Well, who gave it to you then? They must have stolen it." Karin gave Sakura another of her holier-than-thou looks.

"Uchiha Itachi, and of course he stole it. No-one Konoha would give it to him, although it is technically his; what with him being the heir to Uchiha," Sakura stated matter-of-factly.

"What?!" Karin and Suigetsu spluttered, even Juugo looked up from the flower he had been playing with.


	6. Chapter 6

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 6

_Oh, and I love SuiSaku too :-D So Luna, you're not alone; sadly though this is SasuSaku :-P_

_And I know I keep rhyming, I'm a terrible writer yes, yes. My longest yet, well proud i am :-)_

* * *

"What?" Suigetsu asked again incredulously and Karin's mouth just hung open.

"I believe the polite phrase is excuse me," Sakura responded coolly, standing and strapping her sword to her back before Karin could snatch it again.

Karin closed her mouth and suddenly smiled wickedly. "Sasuke-kun is going to kill you," she said smugly. A million thoughts had raced through her head at Sakura's revelation until one of them stuck; this girl has been in contact with Sasuke-kun's brother and done who knows what, she probably slept with him, and came out of it with Sasuke-kun's mother's sword. He would be furious, the sword is his to give and she doubted very much he would give it to the whore who fucked his brother. That's what all that sex talk was about, she surmised. Karin's smile grew until she resembled the Cheshire Cat.

Sasuke-kun was going to kill her.

"He may, but he will listen first," Sakura's eyes narrowed as if she was annoyed at the thought of him not listening.

Karin's senses suddenly flared.

"One of them is dead…" They all looked at her then. "Itachi," she affirmed. "Now though, someone new has appeared… Someone powerful…"

Sakura hissed and drew her sword. "We have to get there, now!"

"Sasuke told us not to move," Suigetsu interjected.

Karin warred within herself, she didn't want to agree with her pink-haired enemy but she knew that Sasuke-kun needed her.

In the end it was Juugo who spoke, "We go." And with that Sakura dashed into the trees, following Sasuke's trail and as Karin caught up with her followed her senses.

* * *

"Get back from him Madara," Sakura growled, her sword aloft and her gaze fixed upon the neck of the man who hovered over Sasuke's unconscious body.

"Back off, kunoichi; he's mine," the masked man, Madara, glared at her, trying to catch her eye.

"You will leave now or I will destroy the fox before you gain control over him again," She said coolly and Madara flinched.

Karin made a move towards Sasuke but Suigetsu put a hand in front of her and shook his head and then gestured his head towards Madara and Sakura mouthing 'Important'.

"You don't know how," he hissed.

"I have read the archives, I know very well _how_," she hissed back.

"And you know of the consequences?" he asked, leaning towards her.

"I will die to save my team, I was taught that long ago." she responded, leaning forth in turn sword at the ready and with a quick swish of her wrist and a small movement of her feet the sword was at his throat. "Leave now."

"I could kill you where you stand kunoichi," and with that Sakura raised her eyes to his one.

They were both still for all but a moment before Sakura's blade moved to slash his neck. He vanished in the same second as Sakura's strike and all that remained was a sliver of blood on Sakura's Uchiha sword.

"Make sure Sasuke doesn't die whilst I sort out Itachi," Sakura said to the team coldly, lifting the body of Uchiha Itachi and placing him on the Uchiha chair, throne, that overlooked the valley where he and his brother had fought. She crossed herself and slapped the ground with her palms muttering an earth jutsu.

Three seconds later the ground opened up to swallow the dead body of Itachi and the throne he sat upon into the ground, leaving only the top part of the chair with the crest above ground.

Suigetsu, Karin and Juugo watched her with a strange sense of awe whilst Karin's mind went into overdrive trying to interpret the scene played before her. She was taught to die for the lives of her team? What team? Surely not them? The fox? What archives? Most of all the way she carried Itachi was more than that of a man one had a purely physical relationship with. There was care and respect. If it were Karin she would have just left him where he lay.

Sakura walked back down to where Sasuke lay and instructed Juugo to carry him with the utmost care back to their camp, she would deal with him there she said.

No-one questioned Sakura as she took charge of the team, Juugo out of respect and Suigetsu out of awe. Karin, however quietly seethed.

* * *

As they arrived at camp Sakura told Juugo to lay Sasuke on top of the sleeping bag that she slept in and to remove his top and as blood began to stain the inside thigh of his trousers them also.

Karin blushed at the sight of Sasuke in his undergarments and felt a familiar twist of lust in her belly, Sakura however was unfazed.

As Sakura held a green hand over a particularly serious and deep gash in Sasuke's side, the other resting on his thigh Suigetsu asked her why; "How come you're not all hot and bothered like four-eyes?"

"I see patients in their underwear all the time and I saw Sasuke naked several times before he left," she said as the skin between her eyebrows creased as she concentrated. "He's been burned," she muttered, examining the burnt muscle underneath the gash. "Under his skin, curious…"

"Forget what's curious and just fix him already!" Karin was itching to shove Sakura out of the way and make Sasuke bite her instead, it pained her to watch as some other girl fixed _her_ Sasuke-kun.

"He'll be fine," Sakura growled at her. "Suigetsu, give me my bag." She held her hand out until he passed it to her. Karin was getting more and more jumpy as Sakura left Sasuke unattended, searching through her bag and then pulling out a scroll

Sakura unravelled the scroll, bit her thumb and slapped her palm on the scroll, "Kuchiyose no jutsu"

A giant slug appeared, towering above the trees. Karin let out a yelp, "Pussy," Suigetsu mumbled.

"Sakura?" the slug said in rumbling but decidedly feminine voice.

Sakura rose to address the mighty slug, "I need you to help him Katsuyu, his injuries are deep and continue to eat away at him."

"I wish not to, he reeks of Manda." Katsuyu said in a scathing tone.

Sakura was silent as she debated how to persuade Katsuyu without revealing anything to Team Hebi. "He is… my Jiraiya," Sakura spoke brokenly and quietly as if saying a deep secret although none of Team Hebi understood. It was harder to say than she had thought.

"…Very well, but I have one question."

"I will answer," Sakura responded solemnly.

"If he is to you what Jiraiya is to Tsunade then why do you yourself not heal him? Why do you call upon me?" the giant slug asked.

"I have not the energy from my battle with Madara, should I heal him I shall surely die and I am loath to use _that_ jutsu." Sakura answered.

With that the giant slug disappeared and a smaller slug appeared on Sasuke's chest.

"Thank you Katsuyu," Sakura bowed her head and then her legs buckled and she fell unconscious.

Juugo moved and caught Sakura before she hit the ground and lay her on the sleeping bag besides the one Sasuke laid on as Karin narrowed her eyes, beginning to grasp the meaning the meaning of the conversation between Sakura and the slug she had summoned.

"Is it okay to leave that thing on Sasuke?" Suigetsu asked eyeing the slug uncertainly.

"I am not a thing," The miniature Katsuyu spoke, startling Team Hebi. "I am Katsuyu, queen and warlord of my kind. Also it would be unwise to remove me, I am healing this snakeling."

"Warlord?" Suigetsu laughed. "Hate to break it to you but you're a slug."

"I am not merely a slug; you marvelled at my size, I could engulf you in my weight, drown you in my slime and sap your energy in the same way I gift this snakeling. You are of the water, merman and I could boil you alive with a concentration of my natural energy. I am God, Katsuyu of the Three."

Suigetsu chose not to reply and soon the slug poofed out of existence, a few seconds later and Sasuke awoke spluttering and clutching his side.

"Who brought me here?" he asked quickly.

"We did," Karin answered before any of the others could give Sakura's name.

"Itachi?"

"Dead," she affirmed.

At this point Sakura groaned.

Sasuke's eyes turned quickly and as he realised who lay at his side , he leapt up smoothly and surveyed her in disgust.

"Her sword Sasuke-kun," Karin spoke. "Look at her sword."

Sasuke removed Sakura's sword from the sheath she kept it in and narrowed his eyes as he took in the symbols inscribed in it along with the Uchiwa fan blazing proud upon the blade.

He kicked Sakura cruelly in the side and she awoke to the pain as she reached out to block her attacker before sweeping up into a defensive crouch.

"Where did you get this?" he spoke as if she were so beneath him it was insult to him to have to address her.

"It is none of your business," she said proudly, straightening out of her crouch.

Suddenly she was against a tree with his hand around her throat and her sword pointed at her side.

"_Where?_" he hissed, tightening his grip.

And then where there had been Sakura there was Karin.

"S-Sasuke-kun!" Karin didn't understand how she had gotten there and Sasuke was hurting her.

"Let her go Sasuke," Sakura spoke from behind him and Sasuke swirled round to slice at her with his mother's sword, but he wasn't used to the proportions and he came short of her neck.

Sakura wrapped her hand around the blade of the sword and with a chakra fuelled hand pulled it towards herself, Sasuke with it. She kicked him once in the chest and in his shock he did not block and he flew into a tree and the Uchiha matriarch sword was in Sakura's possession once again.

Sasuke's eyes blazed red as he pushed himself off the tree and towards her, "Give me my mother's sword Sakura and I may not kill you.," he said as he unsheathed his own sword and held it to her neck.

"No," she spoke angrily. "This sword has been mine since I was sixteen and I have no intentions of giving it up."

"The sword is _mine_! Mine until I chose a bride and give it to her! And despite your childhood fantasies I never chose you Sakura!" Sasuke's words were anger fuelled also.

"This sword was your brother's until he chose a bride to give it to and he _gave_ it Sasuke," Sakura's words were still menacing.

Sasuke flinched.

"I married your brother when I was sixteen Sasuke, I was on a mission and he captured me. He said he had something to give me but he could only give it to me under certain circumstances, and so I married him. Until death do us part," she laughed.

Sasuke backed away from her, not being able to believe it. Sakura and his brother? _No_. She had loved him, she had told him that on the night he left. She would have done anything for him. How times have changed, his mind laughed at him. She had betrayed him, like Itachi. She would die.

They were all surprised when Karin spoke, "Why?" she asked softly.

"He told me his mother's sword had to go to someone and who better but I? The girl who fancied Sasuke as her one true love? He told me about his girlfriend, the girl he would have married if he hadn't been ordered to kill her." Sasuke glared at her then, no-one had ordered Itachi to do anything. "He said this sword would have been hers next but he couldn't give it to her now. So he gave it to me, Sasuke's female teammate thinking I was to Sasuke what she was to him. I told him he was wrong but he gave it to me anyway. Funnily enough Karin, he probably would have given it to you if he knew you were Sasuke's teammate not mine."

It clicked then, _'I will die to save my team, I was taught that long ago.'_

Sasuke-kun was in her team also, but Karin didn't have time to dwell on that as Sakura continued.

"I told him I would never marry him, he was evil. I think my exact words were 'You killed Sasuke-kun's family, I will never marry the man who caused him that pain' because I remembered Sasuke, I remembered what you said on our first day as a team. But then he told me why he had done it-"

"I know why he did it!" Sasuke exploded, not wanting to listen any longer. "He did it to prove his strength, to see if he fucking could!"

"Then why Sasuke did he leave you alive?" Sakura asked.

"He wanted to make me hurt, he wanted to draw out my pain," Sasuke said angrily, not wanting to hear her try and justify Itachi's actions.

"No, I will tell you why Itachi did what he did and you _will_ listen Sasuke-kun," Karin was the only one who noticed the honorific and she noticed how Sasuke's posture became less hostile at it.

"Your family were not who you thought they were Sasuke, but you were too young to understand, too young to be let in on the secret. Your family were not happy with their positions. You see, back before the creation of Konohagakure there were two clans; Uchiha and Senju. The leaders were Uchiha Madara and Hashirama Senju. They were enemies and fought often but they eventually made a truce and founded Konoha. Hashirama was elected leader-"

"I know this story," Sasuke interrupted. "Madara wasn't happy with that and left the village. He and Senju later fought and Madara died. And so was the Valley of the End. What does this have to do with Itachi? My patience is reaching its end and so is your life."

"Your father and the clan elders decided the wanted the leadership that had been denied them so long ago. The planned to overthrow the village. The police system was becoming unneeded and they were restless. Your brother was always more dedicated to his village rather than his clan. The pressure they pressed upon him was never appreciated, and so he told the Third of their plans and he was ordered to assassinate the most noble clan of Uchiha. All of them, from the oldest man to the youngest child. Even his own father, his own mother and his little brother."

"You lie," Sasuke's sword was at her neck yet again.

"I do not," Sakura stated softly. "And so Sasuke-kun, he murdered his family, his mother, his girlfriend but there was one person he couldn't bear to kill. You, his little brother. He loved you too much. He hated himself and so he gave you the mission to kill him, never intending for you to know the truth. He was instructed to leave the village, to be branded the villain he appeared to be. The village couldn't appear to be involved and so was his dedication he agreed. The village elders were not pleased however by his decision to spare you and had already arranged for an ANBU to finish the job. Your brother however would not have it, he told them that you believed he did it because he choose to, that you did not know the truth. He allowed your life to be consumed by hate only to protect you. You were his little brother Sasuke, that was his job. And he never forgot it."

Sasuke's sword slid from her neck, leaving a shallow cut on her collarbone. He fell to his knees and he started to cry.

Team Hebi did not know how to react. Suigetsu didn't feel the urge to laugh as he so often did, Juugo was not emotionally equipped to deal with these situations. Karin however took a step forward, arms outstretched, intending to go to Sasuke and comfort him. She stopped however when Sasuke uttered one word in a pain ravaged voice.

"Sakura…"

Sakura dropped her sword and wrapped him in her arms.


	7. Chapter 7

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 7

_This title is pants. I may change it, any suggestions? My thoughts are 'The adventures of a twiggy ninja and his twiggier team(s)' or 'The God Ra and his Ra-Ra skirt'. Seriously though, suggestions?_

_Also I forgot about what clothes I put Sakura in, I meant for them to be mentioned and so they will be. I also took a vow not to put A/Ns in this, apparently not. Oh and Sasuke and Sakura are 19 not 17 which I made them at the start., Karin and Suigetsu 20 and Juugo is 32. After re-reading this I see that in chapter 3 I mention the sword but with a different story behind it, it's not obvious but it was back when I had a different idea for it, please ignore these previous false hints. I'm bad for inconsistency but I will re-read all my chapters now before posting a new one so it all adds up. Don't hate my writing too much, I'm only 15 and no J.K Rowling._

* * *

Sobs wracked Sasuke's body as he came to terms with what he had done. He had murdered his brother, and for what reason? Because a selfish village had decided to let Itachi be hated when he was actually a hero? As he cried into Sakura's shirt he finally took notice of what she was wearing. A bright orange t-shirt, marred with dirt and torn from the fight he had put her through with his new team. He felt her hair fall from behind her ear to brush the back of his head and neck, she had kept it the same length as it had been last time he had seen her at fifteen. As Sasuke allowed himself to be absorbed in Sakura's being the sobs slowly became less violent and the tears slower in coming before they stopped.

He allowed himself an undignified sniff before raising his head from the crook of Sakura's neck and looking around him, there was no sign of Suigetsu or Juugo; they had left to give him his privacy but he saw Karin gazing at himself and Sakura with a look of pain across her face and arms half outstretched.

Sasuke barked out a cruel word at her, "Leave." His voice was hoarse from crying and he had no wish for anyone to see him in this moment of weakness and he resented Karin for staying when the others had left.

As Karin jumped in surprise and ran from the camp he felt Sakura's arms slip and leave his body only to rub at her forehead.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke found himself feeling the same protective feelings he had had for Sakura when they were twelve, except now he voiced his concerns.

"I'm just a little tired and my chakra's low, I just need some time to refuel."

"That's an annoying t-shirt you know," he mentioned.

Sakura looked down as if only now realising what she had on. "Oh, well it used to be Naruto's. I use it sometimes to sleep in and as your team ambushed me in my sleep I didn't really have time to change." she laughed.

Sasuke felt a strange pang in his chest at the mention of Naruto, but that happened everytime his old friend was mentioned.

"I thought you came of your own will," Sasuke said, suddenly realising that whilst he was no longer crying he still had tears on his face. He raised a hand to wipe them away but Sakura beat him to it.

"We can't have the great Uchiha Sasuke looking weak now can we?" she laughed, but Sasuke didn't feel all that great. Not after Sakura's revelations about his brother. He covered it up by glaring at her.

Sakura laughed, "I was beginning to miss that face, although the circumstances I receive it in aren't always the best." Both she and Sasuke were silent as they remembered his sword at her throat and his hand around her neck slowly squeezing. "Never mind," Sakura said waving it off. "We all make mistakes and I can't blame you for that one."

"Why did you marry my brother?" Sasuke asked, that fact wormed its way into his mind and the thought of what people did after they were married stuck also. Was that story about the mysterious ninja a lie?

"Because he needed me too, and who was I to deny a hero of Konoha. An unsung hero perhaps but a hero nevertheless and this sword was just to beautiful to let pass me by. He intended it for the woman whom he loved but in the end he settled for the girl who loved his brother, at the time" she amended, she bit her finger and ran the blood along the sheath and the black casing fell of as if it were liquid to reveal a pale blue sheath carved with an Uchiwa fan and many flowers. "I know it will look a bit girly but it is yours," she said holding it out to him.

"You married Itachi, it's yours." he said, not moving to take the sword.

"We went through the ceremony yes, but we were never married in truth, A marriage is not a marriage if not consummated Sasuke-kun," she laughed as if rejecting the very idea. "And besides he's passed on now, death has come and so we are parted."

"Why didn't you?" he asked, Sasuke felt himself become less and less reserved as he spoke to his old teammate as if they were twelve again and everything was a little easier.

"Sleep with him?" she laughed and then her voice took on a more serious tone. "It would've been easy to just pretend for a night, for both of us. He never told me her name but I'm sure he would have imagined her as he was above me, and all I could see everytime I looked at him was you. It would've been easy to pretend for a night that we did get our happily-ever-afters. In the end though that was why we didn't, it was a conversation I had never imagined having with your brother especially after we had just gotten married but I think it was educational for both of us. We came to the conclusion that if we did, we would never be able to stop, we would become lost in our fantasies. He would be you in my mind and I her in his. We could not bear to lose you both again. It would've been easy to pretend, too easy."

"Ah," Sasuke said, running Sakura's words through his mind.

"So the sword is yours, it was never truly mine. We were married only in name," she said holding it to him again and this time he took it.

"Uchiha Sakura," Sasuke said, testing the name on his tongue. "It's strange to think of you as anything but little Haruno Sakura, always in need of my protection and off you go; marrying S-class nins and talking sex. Strange," he repeated.

"I was always Haruno, I never took his name. No-one would understand, they would probably think me delusional and sill a dedicated fan-girl of yours," she cringed as she remembered her past, she rubbed a hand across her forehead and when she took it away her forehead was smeared with blood. Sasuke then noticed the rather profusely bleeding cuts on her hand and collarbone. Again, he took in her appearance and was surprised at what she looked like. She looked battle-hardened, dirty but not rolled in mud dirty, on her legs ran little streams of blood from the many cuts open them, her arms in a similar state. Blood coloured her hand red as it dripped of the ends of her fingers, there was a crimson stain on her ramen shirt that expanded as the seconds ticked by. She had blood spatters across her face and clothes from the wounds of others. He noticed some of her old scars, one pale white that ran along her throat as though someone had slit it and part of her earlobe was missing on her left ear. Her eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot with pupils shrunk down so that they were mere specs on an expanse of green. Sasuke recognised the aftermath of someone who had had the Sharingan used on them recently. Something he did not understand. Then he realised something, her bleeding wasn't stopping.

"Sakura, heal yourself," he ordered her.

Sakura took one look at herself and then took a deep breath. "I can't Sasuke, I don't have enough chakra."

"Then at least stop the bleeding, you'll die if you don't," Sasuke recognised the ailment, it was a rare disease but a servant at the sound compound had died of a paper cut because of it.

"We'll have to do it the civilian way, hand me my bag; it's by that sleeping bag." Sakura held out her unwounded hand as Sasuke grabbed the bag and handed it to her. Sakura searched around the bag and pulled out some herbs along with some she kept in her holsters and belt. "Get me a rounded rock," she told him.

After the first few he found were rejected and Sakura's bleeding increased Sasuke scanned the ground with his Sharingan before finding a suitable stone, "Here," Sasuke held the stone out to her and Sakura ground the herbs together in a wooden bowl she used to eat soup. Once the mixture was at the right consistency Sakura poured some water from Sasuke's canteen on her wounds washing the blood off her legs and arms before quickly applying the salve on her wounds. Doing the same thing to her hand she bandaged it afterwards. Then she quickly pulled her top off over her head and Sasuke was met with what used to be a plain white bra now stained red from blood. He didn't even have time to properly realise there was a half naked woman in front of him before Sakura started ordering him about. "Hold this," Sakura commanded handing him the bowl before pouring the water over her wound causing bloody water to roll down her body. She quickly grabbed the bowl from Sasuke and applied the rest of the salve to the wound on her collarbone.

She then bandaged up the wound the best she could after shrugging off the straps of her bra. Sasuke seeing that she couldn't put back on the torn and bloodstained orange shirt she had been wearing before offered her his own. Sakura took the offered shirt and zipped it up before laughing.

"This one's just as bad, except the blood is dried in. And do you mind if I ask why you never zip it up?" she asked stifling giggles. Sasuke was struck with a strange sense of melancholy then. It was almost as if they were twelve again, everything was easier.

Just then Suigetsu came running back in with Juugo who was covering his face and shuddering.

"He smelt the blood Sasuke, stop him before he turns!" Suigetsu practically shouted, retreating from Juugo.

"Juugo," Sasuke spoke quietly and calmly, approaching Juugo and pulling his hands away from his face. "It's okay Juugo," Juugo's shudders subsided and he was calm again.

It was the that Karin appeared. "I sensed the spike in Juugo's chakra, is everyone okay?" Her eyes flitted from Juugo to Suigetsu and then resting on Sasuke, completely ignoring Sakura.

"Everyone is fine, Karin you will escort Sakura to a river where she will clean herself properly of blood and then you will return here and we shall decide upon Team Hebi's next course of action," Sasuke told her.

Karin would have objected if it were anyone but him, "Yes, Sasuke-kun," she said quietly remembering the harshness with which he had told her to leave, to leave him alone with her.

"Come," she said walking straight past Sakura and she would have bashed Sakura's shoulder if Sakura had not swerved out of the way.

"Well, somebody's pissed," Suigetsu laughed as Sakura swung her pack onto her shoulder and followed Karin into the forest.

* * *

Karin couldn't help but notice the shirt Sakura wore. Sakura may not have realised she was wearing the Uchiha emblem but Karin couldn't be more aware. She was however, pleased at the wounds that Sasuke-kun had given the pink haired kunoichi behind her.

Neither of them spoke as Karin led Sakura towards the river, when they reached it Karin cleaned dirt out of her nails as Sakura removed her clothes. Sakura lay her weapons closest to her on the bank as she entered the water naked. She allowed her body suitable time to get used to cold temperature of the water before submerging herself.

It was so refreshing to wipe away the dirt that had previously refused to move, it wasn't quite a warm shower but it was the best she had and Sakura was grateful. She swam back to the bank and grabbed her pack, she rifled through it until she found the shampoo bottle that she always kept in her pack along with her bar of soap even whilst at home, a tip from Tsunade in case of hygiene emergencies. It was her favourite strawberry scented shampoo, Ino had always said it was cliché for her to have strawberry scented hair but Sakura liked it. She squeezed the bottle until she had a reasonable dollop in her hand before massaging it into her hair. She swam deeper into the river before again submerging herself and running her fingers through her hair underwater to get rid of the shampoo. When she resurfaced she swam back again and grabbed her bar of soap before again cleansing herself and going underwater to clean of the suds. Finished her cleaning routine Sakura returned to land, dried herself with a quick wind jutsu and pulled on her shorts over her still slightly wet underwear. She took of her bra and wrapped some bandages from her pack around her chest. She then proceeded to clean Sasuke's shirt in the river before drying that with the same jutsu.

She finally turned to look at Karin, "I'm ready to go back now."

* * *

Karin looked up when Sakura spoke and felt some feelings of jealousy build up in her chest, with her hair still damp at the ends, curling in a pretty way and Sasuke-kun's Uchiha shirt zipped up with some of her chest bindings still showing and the very ends of her shorts showing Sakura looked quite attractive. Karin was in no way attracted to girls but she could see the way that Sasuke-kun would react in her mind and she felt her feelings of jealousy building into murderous intent. How dare this girl come into their lives and ruin everything?! How dare she have so many fucking moments with Sasuke-kun?! She had to go.

"Follow me," Karin said icily, heading back to camp, later she thought, later.

* * *

When the arrived at the camp Karin saw Sasuke's eyes flit to Sakura immediately and they lingered there before shooting Karin a glare of resentment. Karin felt something in her chest tighten, what had she done? How should she begin to apologise when she didn't know what she'd done.

"Sasuke-kun-" but he cut across her.

"Sit down Sakura, Karin," the way in which he said their names was startlingly different. "We have to discuss our plan of action," he gestured to the logs they had placed around their fire where Juugo and Suigetsu were already seated. Karin immediately went for the space next to Sasuke but stopped when he saw the way he was looking at Sakura, a crack formed on her heart. Sakura stepped around Karin and took her place beside Sakura leaving Karin to sit between Juugo and Suigetsu.

"We move to attack Konoha," Sasuke began but before he could go on Sakura jumped up.

"_No." _she said in a way that was so final Suigetsu and Juugo half expected Sasuke to nod.

"No? You cannot make me change my plans Sakura, we will attack Konoha and that is that. Now sit down and listen to the plan." Sasuke said in chillingly cool voice, it was the voice he used when he was angry Suigetsu thought to himself, before Sakura had got here anyway; nowadays he shouted.

He was more human when he shouted.

* * *

Perhaps he had been wrong, he thought. In those moments after Sakura had told him about his brother he had foolishly believed that she would be with him in this. The way she had been there after he killed Itachi. He realised his mistake now, he had let down his barriers and let her see him in a vulnerable state. She know thought that she was in control. She was wrong.

* * *

"You have forgotten who I am Sakura," as Sasuke said this Karin allowed herself a small smile. He said Sakura's name the same way he had said hers earlier.

"No, it's you who has forgotten who he is," Sakura said angrily, turning to walk away.

Sasuke shimmered and then appeared in front of Sakura and blocked her path. "Where do you imagine you are going?"

"I'm going home, back to Konoha," Sakura said stiffly.

"No, you are not. Another thing you seem to have forgotten is that you are my prisoner, perhaps we have let you become too comfortable," Sasuke turned his gaze to Karin. "Karin bring out those chakra manacles you keep in your bag and find something to gag her will you?"

Sakura stood confused for a moment before she steeled herself for a battle. "I came here of my own will, and I will leave that way." She lowered herself into her battle stance, ready to face Sasuke and everyone else at this camp.

"Hold," Sasuke told his team before disappearing.

Sakura straightened as she scanned the area without the aid of her severely depleted chakra. She cursed Madara in her mind. A telltale gust of wind blew behind her neck and she ducked using only the instincts Tsunade had instilled within her.

"No!" she shouted at Sasuke, who's hand was where Sakura's neck had been. Her next words were full of raw unconstrained emotion, "Don't you dare! Don't you dare do that to me again!"

Sakura's words struck somewhere in Sasuke's chest as he felt something constrict. Sakura stepped back before her back hit a tree, she slid down and allowed all emotion to leave her face. Sasuke took the chakra manacles from Karin and slowly attached them to Sakura's wrists and ankles as she stared at some point in the distance.

He turned to his team, "We will discuss the plan tomorrow." He then turned and walked purposefully into the wood.

* * *

Sakura couldn't believe what had just happened, it was as if Sasuke's personality had just changed without any warning. She didn't understand. He had seemed to still care about her but now she wasn't so sure. He had let her see his vulnerable side, something he hadn't done since they were twelve and Orochimaru had just cursed him. What on earth had made him think she would stand by him as he destroyed their home? What had driven him to the decision that he should attack Konoha? Surely not what she had told him?

Oh God.

He blamed the village for his clan's death. They are now the murderers in his eyes, now that the truth about his brother had been revealed. She had thought that knowing the truth about Itachi would bring him peace, not send him on another hate-filled quest for revenge. She should not have said anything, he would have come back if she had not said anything, he would have been happy if she had not said anything. A small nagging at the back of her mind told her she was wrong, it would have been false happiness based on lies and she could not have let Sasuke go on hating the brother who had given up everything to save him.

How could she stop him from destroying everything she held dear?

* * *

Sasuke kicked, punched and slashed at the stubborn tree that refused to break until he lost his temper and used his Chidori on it.

"Timber," he whispered softly to himself as the tree came crashing down.

How could she do this to him? He began on the next tree with that thought stuck firmly in his mind, aiming a powerful kick at it's trunk. The tree creaked in protest. He had been foolish to think that she cared about him, he had been foolish to let his mind wander into the realm of happily-ever-afters, he had been foolish to bring her here in the first place. He still couldn't think of one reason why he did bring her here, all there was is the now wavering conviction that she had to be here. He was a fool.

"Chidori!" he shouted as he ran another lightning fuelled fist through the tree, this one held although there was now a cruel, jagged hole though it's trunk. Sakura wouldn't like him killing trees. That thought nagged at him from the back of his mind before he addressed it out loud.

"Sakura when she was twelve maybe," he berated himself again for thinking about her, she was nothing, she was an annoying girl, 'woman' his mind screamed, that shouldn't affect him in the slightest.

God he was an idiot, he thought as he ran a hand through his hair.

He breathed in and out, allowed himself a moment of remembrance and regret and then became the Uchiha Sasuke that Orochimaru had moulded; he was merciless.

"Tsk, tsk Sasuke-kun," a masculine voice called from the trees. "Your mother wouldn't approve of such mindless violence."

"Show yourself," Sasuke demanded as he scanned the area with his Sharingan, he caught the man's chakra signature just as he stepped out from behind a tree.

"Uchiha Madara, I can't tell you how nice it is to finally meet you Sasuke-kun."


	8. Chapter 8

TITLE - UNCONSCIOUS NEED

AUTHOR - ARCTIC BOWL

CHAPTER 8

_Not that many reviews for my last chapter :/ I was a little disappointed. Also, no title ideas! I really need a half decent title for this story, the one I have just now is actual pants._

* * *

"Akatsuki," Sasuke hissed, raising his sword ready for attack.

"You can't really hold that against me Sasuke-kun, I'm sure you've killed as many people as I have." the masked man, Uchiha Madara began. "And I'm family, and after what that charming young girl told you surely you'd be happy to see some family ready to take vengeance against Konoha as much as you do."

"You're dead." Sasuke said, feeling confused and confusion was vulnerability. Sasuke slid his feet into a better fighting position.

"Not quite," Madara laughed. "I'm a survivor, anyway back on topic. The girl is wrong, Konoha must pay for their betrayal, they have forgotten that Uchiha is what made that village. We are too late to kill the Sandaime and so they must all pay for his mistake."

Sasuke didn't know how to respond, he so badly wanted to destroy the village that had made his brother kill his mother but he did not want to make Sakura unhappy. Foolish bonds. He had taken a vow to cut them off, he had made a mistake in bringing her here although without her he would not know the truth behind the massacre.

A small voice in the back of his mind said maybe he was better off not knowing.

"Follow me, we can discuss this with my team."

* * *

Sasuke led Madara through the thick trees into the clearing where their camp was based, as soon as Sakura's eyes landed on Madara she shouted as loud as she could "No! Sasuke get away fro-" but her words were stopped in her throat by a swift jutsu by Madara.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Release her."

"Why?"

"She is my prisoner and if I didn't want to hear her speak I would have gagged her, now release her."

Sakura was crying as she mouthed the word 'no' over and over again. The chakra manacles stopping her from using a counter jutsu.

"I however do not want to hear her troublesome interruptions, she does not want her precious Konoha destroyed and she will tell you anything to get you to stop, I do not trust that you will not listen," Madara said coldly.

"Sasuke, really-" Suigetsu began but Sasuke interrupted.

"Leave it Suigetsu," Sasuke said and then in a softer voice; "He's right."

Karin was not sure what to feel, on one hand Sasuke had had the pink-haired bitch tied up and gagged but on the other he had said that if she really tried Sakura could get him to change his mind. Nothing Karin ever said could change Sasuke's mind once he was set, she didn't think anyone could.

She didn't know about that night when Sasuke was twelve and he was so close to turning back that he had to knock Sakura out before she said something else.

"We are planning to move out tomorrow," Sasuke said quietly.

Madara said nothing for a moment, studying Sasuke and analysing the way he had looked at Sakura as if he were in pain.

"I will join you midday tomorrow, I have some things to set in motion." Madara nodded at Sasuke before disappearing in a swirl of orange.

Sasuke walked slowly over to the tree which he had claimed as his own and sat down, studying a spot on the ground very intently.

Suigetsu didn't think he'd ever seen Sasuke look guilty before.

* * *

The next morning Sasuke didn't dare risk a glance at Sakura, all through the night all he could see were the silent sobs that wracked her body and although he would never admit it to anyone he couldn't bear to see her cry; it had been like that since he was twelve and he told her she was heavy.

He told his team in that eerily calm voice he had mastered so long ago that they were moving out. Suigetsu and Juugo looked uncertainly at Sakura who was now crying only silent tears.

"Oh for God's sake!" Karin said as she grabbed Sakura's chains and yanked her upwards. "See? Not that hard." She then proceeded to drag Sakura cruelly towards Sasuke. As Sakura tripped over the chain that held her feet together Karin called out; "Well are we going or not?"

"We will walk," Sasuke said quietly.

"But Sasuke-kun, that will take forever!" Karin whined.

"We will walk," Sasuke said again with a tone so final that Karin didn't dare speak. Karin didn't know that all Sasuke was thinking was that Sakura wouldn't be able to run.

* * *

They walked in uncomfortable silence, only interrupted by the sounds of Sakura falling down and Karin swearing and kicking at her to get her back on her feet. Madara's jutsu was so powerful that Sakura couldn't even groan never mind cry out in pain. After one particularly vicious tug on Sakura's chain by Karin that ended with Sakura curled up in a ball on the ground with a large gash on her forehead Suigetsu decided to intercede.

"That's enough Karin," he told her firmly. Karin laughed in his face.

"Try and stop me waterboy," she said tauntingly, giving Sakura's chain another yank. "Get up you piece of shit," she hissed.

"Give her to me," Suigetsu commanded, holding his hand out expectantly.

"Hmm, no." Karin replied giving Sakura a kick, Sasuke could have sworn he heard a crack.

"Give her to Suigetsu, Karin," he said without glancing back.

"Whatever," Karin said, dropping the chains on the ground and spitting in Sakura's hair before she skipped off to catch up with Sasuke.

Suigetsu lifted Sakura up and positioned her on his back behind his sword, she hung there limply lacking the strength to hold on.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun," Madara said warmly. "I've been waiting for you."

Team Hebi took a moment to take in the camp that was before them, there was a roaring fire, tents which hopefully contained comfortable sleeping bags and some bread and dried meat resting on a tree stump.

Suigetsu set Sakura down against a tree before turning to face Madara with the rest of his team.

"This is where you will rest for the night and tomorrow you will change direction," Madara explained.

"What direction?" Karin asked. Had they been going the wrong way?

"You will move east," he answered as one would answer a foolish child.

"East? That's taking you towards Iwagakure, we are heading towards Konoha," Sasuke said, narrowing his eyes.

"Why would you want to go there?" Madara laughed. "There was an attack earlier today, what was Konoha is now wasteland. No survivors." You could hear the grin in his voice.

The light left Sakura's eyes.

"What?" Sasuke asked in a quiet voice.

"Konoha is gone." Madara replied again as though to a small child. Madara's visible eye flicked towards Sakura, he smiled under his mask as he took in her empty eyes and released her from his jutsu,

Sakura felt the release as if a great weight had been lifted off of her throat but chose not to speak. She would never speak again she decided, that would be her punishment for leaving her home to perish, leaving it for the man who wished only for its destruction.

"What did you do to her now?" Sasuke hissed, taking a step towards Madara and placing his hand around the hilt of his sword.

"I merely released her from the silencing jutsu, she can speak now. If she chooses to do so." Madara said coolly.

Sasuke did not dare look.

"I expect to find you en route to Iwagakure tomorrow Sasuke-kun, If not… Well, I'm sure you get the gist," and then Madara vanished again in that strange swirl of orange.

"Sakura?" Suigetsu asked, turning his attention to the silent kunoichi. When he received nothing more than a blank stare he turned to Sasuke. "I think something's wrong with her Sasuke."

Sasuke allowed himself one glance and saw a lone tear slide down her smooth porcelain cheek, he turned his back on her.

"Eat."

Team Hebi converged on the food, once most of it was gone Juugo picked up some and walked towards the tree upon which Sakura leant.

"Sakura-san? You should eat something," he said gently, she didn't even look at him.

Suigetsu threw an apple at Sakura but instead of catching it Sakura allowed it to hit her on the shoulder and fall to the ground next to her, she didn't even flinch.

"Stupid bitch," Karin mumbled.

* * *

Sakura could hear them trying to get her to eat but at the same time she couldn't. She felt disconnected and food was the last thing on her mind. There was no point in revealing who Madara really was and him motives now, Konoha was destroyed; her home gone. He had already achieved part of his plan and for all she knew the Kyuubi had already been extracted and Naruto was dead.

Everyone she knew was dead.

It hit her like a kunai in the heart, '_No survivors'. _Kakashi-sensei, Ino-pig, Tsunade-shisou, Naruto… Everyone.

She lifted her head when she half heard Karin approach Sasuke, she forced herself to concentrate on their voices and managed to focus upon their bodies.

"Sasuke-kun, are you alright?" Karin asked softly.

"Go away Karin," Sasuke didn't even look at her.

"Aren't you happy? Konoha is gone, although it wasn't by your hand the criminals that killed your family are dead."

"You're annoying," Sasuke glared at her.

Sakura felt whatever small piece of her heart that remained break.

She was losing him, just like she had already lost everyone else. When Sakura spoke her voice was hoarse from the abuse it had taken from Madara's jutsu.

"Sas-uke-kun…" she whispered. "Sasuke," the tears started. "Sasuke, Naruto…" she sobbed and coughed.

"Sakura?" Sasuke's eyes went to her, his body followed shortly afterwards.

All feelings of hate and betrayal left Sakura, all that was left was the knowledge that everyone she loved was dead and this was Sasuke, and she'd be damned if she lost him too.

She had not left her home for nothing.

"Naruto… he's dead Sasuke, dead," she croaked as she buried her head in his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Sakura, I'm so sorry…" Sasuke whispered, his words barely audible. He finally felt it, it finally hit him that it was his best friend that he had been heading to kill and for what? Some warped sense of vengeance, was that the only way he could function? Could he not survive without some kind of vendetta?

"Madara, you don't know who he is Sasuke-kun; not really. You have no idea," Sakura half sobbed.

"Shh, I know," Sasuke stroked her hair as he tried to comfort her, because this was Sakura and it was his responsibility to protect her.

He may not love her, he may not even really like her but she was here just like she always was.

She was Sakura and he was Sasuke.

All they were missing was the loudmouth and the teacher who didn't care about time.

Sakura cried just a little harder.

* * *

Karin glared at the emotional spectacle before her, two seconds ago Sasuke's attention had been on her for the first time since that stupid girl had gotten here, Karin's half formed beliefs that this girl had something to do with Sasuke's family had long since been dismissed as she was clearly so much more.

Her anger dissipated however when she saw Sasuke run his hand through Sakura's hair as he whispered comforting words to her then proceeded to hold her close, so much closer to him than Karin had ever been. She felt a tight pain in her chest at the sight and as if on cue the rain started.

How fucking cliché.

* * *

After a lot of murmured but heartfelt apologies on both parts Sasuke and Sakura stood.

"We will not let Itachi's sacrifice be in vain Sasuke, if there is anything left of Konoha we will let it know of what he has done for his village," Sakura's hair was plastered to her head and the bloodstains on the shirt she was wearing started to run..

Sasuke removed the now sodden woollen cloak he was wearing to reveal his bare chest underneath, "Come on, we have to decide our next move."

Sakura took a moment to file away her grief and followed Sasuke to the centre of the camp and sat down next to the now extinguished fire.

"Juugo, Suigetsu, Karin." Sasuke said and the two men rose from their tents to move towards the fire and Karin moved from the tree she had been leaning against and sat opposite Sasuke.

"Got an apple Suigetsu?" Sakura asked. "I'm kind of hungry," she gave a small smile.

Suigetsu pulled one out from underneath his cloak and threw it at her, no questions asked.

Sakura caught it and took a big bite.

"Uchiha Madara is not to be trusted under any circumstances, he seeks you out for reasons which I can not reveal to you now but you must never ever look into his eyes." Sakura said seriously. "That is of the utmost importance, and if you can do not ever let your skin come into contact with his. He has powers beyond your understanding. Now that he has made contact with the team we must be very cautious of what we do, to disobey him would be very dangerous but not as dangerous as obeying him. He will use you for his own ends and then he will kill you, he thinks only of furthering himself."

"And how," Karin said scathingly. "Do you know this?"

"I have had a couple of run-ins with him in the past, I have read many things and spoken to many people. I know his motives and I plan to act against him, you saw me battle with him did you not Karin? I can handle him for now."

"You will have us to help you Sakura-san," Juugo said, a small smile on his face.

"Thank you Juugo, it is however not me he wants. I am merely an obstacle, he seeks people who will further his own being, the jinchuuriki for example." Sakura looked to the ground.

"Naruto…" Sasuke said softly, sadly.

Karin saw her opportunity. "Sasuke-kun… who is Naruto?"

Sakura looked at Sasuke who nodded once, Sakura took his hand and spoke.

"Naruto was our best friend and a jinchuuriki."

Suigetsu's brow furrowed, before he did not think of Sasuke as the type to have acquaintances, never mind a best friend but by watching the way he and Sakura interacted it wasn't as difficult now.

"Sasuke-kun?" Karin asked, ignoring Sakura.

"Naruto was our best friend," Sasuke said, repeating Sakura's words. "Sakura, Naruto and I were in a genin team together."

"In Konoha? I see, he's dead now." Karin said softly. "You know I'm here for you right Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke ignored her and Sakura elbowed him, "Be nice." Sasuke grunted.

"Back on topic, what are we going to do about Madara?" Suigetsu asked.

"We will continue towards Konoha, knowing him he will have someone tracking us and listening to this conversation right now but I can hold him off if I must. Knowledge is power after all," she smiled.

"You always were book smart even if you were a weak kunoichi," Sasuke said.

"Hey! Don't mock the skills," she pushed herself against him and he smirked at her, just like when they were twelve and on some pointless mission that their tardy sensei had given them.

* * *

They were trying so hard to reassure one another that everything was alright.


	9. I'm sorry

So yeah... I'm pretty sure this isn't the update any of you wanted. If you even wanted it, you've probably forgotten about this story. This is just a little note to say I'm revamping my whole fanfiction identity. Keeping the name, losing the stories. Most of this stuff was written when I was 15 and my style was so clumsy and immature. I'll keep this story up for a week or two so everyone can see this (again if they care) before I take it down. However I will rewrite it, along with several other stories that I like the central ideas of. I'll probably bring it back under a different name but look out for it. Along with a lot of my new stuff which I'll add in drips and drabs. I'll be honest, I'm very behind in Naruto not having read it for months so I'll get myself back up to speed before I rewrite, some of my AU stories will be posted right away however.

Thank you for all your support, I can't possibly convey how it made me feel.

I've never had one hundred reviews before.


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